Radio station recorder



May 9, 1939. L. F. WOODRUFF RADIO STATION RECORDER Filed Nov. '7, 1936 i 1 M M U U m/ M M 1 .nalilin 1 M\)3/\)M 4 1 n 1 D J U M m1 1 I w Tri 7 m Fm J ll"! l 4 7 7 9 w J L l )HJIJ L 6; MINVENTOR.

Wag

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 9, 1939 I 2,157,584

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE namo STATION RECORDER Louis F. Woodrufi, Wellesley, Mass. Application November 1, 1936, Serial No. 109,124 2 Claims. (01. 234-695 In recent years manufacturers and merchants As illustrated in the accompanying drawing have utilized the radio for advertising purposes a device embodying the invention may comprise a to such a great extent by sponsoring entertaining support l adapted to carry a supply roll of programs of various.types that it has become record tape ll (not shown) and also rotatably desirable to determine the types of programs support a record tape takeup roll l2. The recwhich most appeal to the various classes and 0rd tape II is provided with a series of perforatypes of radio listeners. To accomplish this it tions I3 adjacent each longitudinal edge which has been proposed to build into each radio reare adapted to be engaged by the teeth ll of ceiving instrument a recorder which will prosprockets which are fixed upon a shaft [5 roduce a cord of the various broadcasting stations tatably carried by the support Ill. The sprockets to which the radio .receiving instrument has l4 and takeup roll l2 are driven to feed the recbeen tuned and the time at which each station ord tape H at a predetermined desired rate by a was tuned in. This, however, is not entirely suitable motor, such as a clock motor 16, through satisfactory because it requires special design of suitable driving connections (not shown). The

the receiving instrument and is too expensive. record tape H is fed over a table ll which, as 15 It is an object of the present invention to proillustrated, is pivotally carried by the support l0 vide an accurate recorder which can be tempoand is adapted to be moved by an electro-magnet rarily connected to any radio receiving instru- I8 to bring the record tape ll into engagement ment at any desired time and for any desired with the stylus I 9.

period of time thereby making possible the de- The structure above described may be mount- 20 termination of the listening habits of any pared within a radio receiving instrument or outside ticular class of listeners with a relatively small the latter at any desired place. Associated with number of recorders. this structure is a solenoid 20 having a plunger The recorder of the invention may comprise 2| which carries the stylus IS. The plunger 2| is 95 mechanism for moving a record sheet at a deprovided with a squared end portion which is sired rate together with means which is adapted slidably guided in a guide sleeve 22 carried by the to make visible indications at predetermined support Ill. A spring 25 connected at one end to positions upon the record sheet, the predeterthe solenoid plunger 2| and connected at its other mined positions corresponding to predetermined end to a stationary support 26 tends to resist n broadcasting stations. This structure may be movement of the plunger 2| and the stylus I9 positioned within or outside, at a desired place in response to energization of the solenoid 20. near or remote from, the radio receiving instru- The solenoid winding 21 is connected by leads 28 ment. In accordance with the invention electriand 29 to a suitable source of electrical energy cally actuated mechanism for making the visi- (not shown).

ble indications is associated with such structure A disk 30 of any suitable electrical insulating and is controlled through remotely positioned material, such as Bakelite, is adapted to be fixed means by changes in the setting of the tuning upon a condenser shaft 3| of the tuning mechamechanism of the receiving instrument. nism of any standard radio receiving instru- Before explaining in detail the present invenment. Electrical contacts ,32 are adjustably tion it is to be understood that the invention is carried upon the disk 30 in any predetermined 40 not limited in its application to the details of spaced relation. The disk 30 is provided with a construction and arrangement of parts illusslip ring 35 adapted to be engaged by a brush trated in the accompanying drawing, Since the 36 which is connected by a lead 31 with the coninvention is Capable of other embodiments nd ductor 28. A brush 38 is mounted adjacent the of being practised or carried out in various ways. disk 30 so as to engage successively the contacts 45 Also it is to e und rst d t the ase l gy 32 as the shaft 3! is rotated. The brush 38 is or terminology employed herein is for the purconnected by a lead 39 to the conductor 28. A pose of description and not of limitation, and condenser 40 is interposed between the brushes it is not intended to limit the invention claimed 36 and 38. Flexible leads 33 connect adjacent herein beyond the requirements of the prior art. contacts 32 with the resistance 34 at spaced 50 The invention will be more clearly understood points on .the latter and, preferably, so as to from the following description in conjunction impose substantially equal portions of the resistwith the single figure in the accompanying drawance between the various contacts 32. The end ing which is a diagrammatic view of a device of the resistance 34 remote from the brush 38 is embodying the invention. connected by a lead 4| with the slip ring 35. 56

38, contact 32, the entire resistance 34, the lead The contacts 32 are positioned upon the disk 30 so as to be brought into engagement with the brush 38 when the radio receiving instrument is tuned to difierent predetermined broadcasting stations.

In the operation of the device, the record tape or sheet II is moved continuously at a desired rate and the arrangement is such that the platform I! is moved to bring the tape II in contact with the stylus I9 when the main switch of the radio receiving set is turned on. Assuming that the radio receiving set is tuned so as to bring the contact 32 in engagement with the brush 38 as indicated in the drawing, electrical energy will be supplied to the solenoid 20 through the brush 4| and slip ring 35 to the brush 36 and thence through the solenoid winding 21. This causes the solenoid 20 to be energized to move the solenoid plunger 2I and the stylus I 9 a predetermined amount with respect to the record sheet I I against the action of the spring 25. If the setting of the tuning mechanism of the radio receiving instrument is changed so as to bring a different contact 32 in engagement with the brush 38, a portion of the resistance 34 will be cut out of the circuit, and, consequently, a greater amount of electrical energy will be supplied to the solenoid 20 and move the stylus I9 a greater amount with respect to the record sheet II. In other words, as the setting of the tuning mechanism of the radio receiving instrument is changed to bring the successive contacts 32 successively in engagement with the brush 38, the stylus I9 will be moved successively to predetermined positions with respect to the record sheet I I, each position corresponding to a difierent predetermined radio broadcasting station. Consequently, since the record sheet I I is moved at a predetermined rate and since the time at which its movement was started can be known, it is possible to determine from an examination of the record sheet when the radio receiving instrument was tuned to any one of the broadcasting stations. By connecting the contacts 32 with the resistance 34 so that sub- I stantially equal portions of the resistance 34 is interposed between adjacent contacts, the markings upon the record sheet representing the broadcasting stations corresponding to the positions of the various contacts 32 are spaced substantially equidistant.

In this manner the indications or lines are always at the same transverse positions on the sheet and in a direction transversely of the direction of movement of the sheet regardless of the adjusted positions of thecontacts and the distance between the lines for any two successive contact means will be substantially constant. As a result, there can be no overlapping of the lines or superimposing of the same nor will the lines he so closely spaced together as to render the record illegible. Thus, with any number of stations, and notwithstanding their close frequencies, the indicating lines will be readily understood.

I claim:

1. A recording device including a longitudinally movable sheet and electrically operated means for making line indications thereon transversely spaced with respect to the direction of movement of the sheet, said means including a plurality of electrical circuits having adjustable contact means, means for closing each circuit through said contact means and means for assuring that the said lines will always be at the same transverse positions on the sheet and in a direction transversely of the direction of movement of the sheet for the circuit including the same contact means regardless of the adjusted positions of the contact means and that the distance between the lines for any two successive contact means will be substantially constant.

2. In a recording device, a recording instrument comprising a longitudinally movable sheet, a marking means movable in a direction transversely of the direction of movement of the sheet, means for moving the marking means, a resistance element, a series of contacts each connected to the resistance element, the value of the resistan'ce being the same between any two connections, means selectively connecting a contact with the means for moving the marking means, said contacts being adjustable to vary the distance therebetween, whereby the marking means will make a record on the sheet at the same transverse positions on the sheet transversely of the direction of movement of the sheet for the same contact irrespective of the adjustment of the contacts and so that the distance between any two successive marks will be substantially constant.

LOUIS F. WOODRUFF'. 1 

